WW2 vet freezes to death in his own home after not paying power bill.

[kmitchell]

BAY CITY, Mich. -- Officials in central Michigan say a 93-year-old man who owned more than $1,000 in unpaid electric bills froze to death inside his home -- where the municipal power company had restricted his use of electricity.

Neighbors and friends of Marvin Schur want answers as to how this could happen.

“Now that we do know it was hypothermia, there’s a whole bunch of feelings that I’ve got going through me,� said Jim Herndon, a neighbor of Schur’s. “There’s anger, for the city and the electrical company.�

Bay City officials said changes are on the way in an attempt to not let another instance like this happen again.

An autopsy determined Schur, 93, died from hypothermia in the home he lived in for years.

Bay City Electric Light and Power sent Schur a shutoff notice through the mail a few weeks ago.

Then crews placed a shutoff notice on his front door. A few days later, Schur was found by neighbors.

Bay City Electric Light and Power, which is owned by the city, said a limiter was placed on Schur’s electrical line.

The device limits the power that reaches a home, and it blows out like a fuse if power consumption rises past a set level.

The manager of Bay City said the limiter was tripped sometime between the time of installation and the discovery of the man's body.

http://www.wnem.com/news/18566890/detail.html#-

[JavaBuc]

If this guy has relatives, it looks like they are about to get rich.

[dalbuc]

BAY CITY, Mich. -- Officials in central Michigan say a 93-year-old man who owned more than $1,000 in unpaid electric bills froze to death inside his home -- where the municipal power company had restricted his use of electricity.

He owned unpaid bills?

[olafberserker]

If this guy has relatives, it looks like they are about to get rich.

If he has relatives, why didn't they step up and make sure his bills were being paid?  That being said the power company shouldn't have placed this limiter on the guy's home. 

[DBrooksIsMyDaddy]

So sad! I thought it was illegal to cut off utilities in the winter up north.  I guess not.

[OpTiOnMaStA]

If he didn't pay the bills there's nobody to blame but himself. If it was an issue with a mechanical device then the electric company and city have some explaining to do.

The article is not clear about this.

[oregonbucfan]

If he didn't pay the bills there's nobody to blame but himself. If it was an issue with a mechanical device then the electric company and city have some explaining to do.

The article is not clear about this.

agree

[ONEBIGDADDY]

If he didn't pay the bills there's nobody to blame but himself. If it was an issue with a mechanical device then the electric company and city have some explaining to do.

The article is not clear about this.

agree

Wow...The Humanity...@ 93 years old and rich guys want to  piss on what this man has done for this Country....This is sickening....I am sick of seeing our Senior Citizens being brought down to ignorant rants and stupid remarks by energy companies and Attornies because they feel that he should've come up with the money to the Energy Companies who send their TOP BRASS home with bonuses and a subject for debate...I hope these guys better realize that while these Senior Citizens are here someone will hold them accountable...God I hate the inhuman statements that will be made...OBD

[oregonbucfan]

If he didn't pay the bills there's nobody to blame but himself. If it was an issue with a mechanical device then the electric company and city have some explaining to do.

The article is not clear about this.

agree

Wow...The Humanity...@ 93 years old and rich guys want to  piss on what this man has done for this Country....This is sickening....I am sick of seeing our Senior Citizens being brought down to ignorant rants and stupid remarks by energy companies and Attornies because they feel that he should've come up with the money to the Energy Companies who send their TOP BRASS home with bonuses and a subject for debate...I hope these guys better realize that while these Senior Citizens are here someone will hold them accountable...God I hate the inhuman statements that will be made...OBD

pay your bills. Jesus if he wasnt able to his family should have paid bills for him. So A) he ignored it B) his family sucks C) Power comp will be rightfully sued.

Just because your old, it gives you a pass not to pay bills? But like I said its horsecrap if the comp turned it off for no reason

[Skull and Bones]

what's a 93 year old man doing living by himself? 

[JavaBuc]

what's a 93 year old man doing living by himself? 

Probably a tough old guy who had always taken care of himself but just ran out of money at the end.  Didn't have any kids or brothers or sisters.   All his old friends and relatives would have died by his age.   

[Skull and Bones]

My grandfather, also a WWII vet, died 2 years ago @93.  He was in a nursing home for about the last 4 years or so.  No way he could have taken care of himself.  And he had my grandmother up until he was 92.

[JavaBuc]

My grandfather died at 99.   Him and my grandmother took care of themselves all the way up until he died.   He never went in a nursing home.   My grandmother died a couple of years after him at 97 years old.   She did have to be put in a nursing home her last year because she developed alzheimers.   But at 95, she was still fully functional and actually still quite quick witted.

[ufojoe]

My grandfather lived until 93 and was fine taking care of himself. One day his heart just gave out. He drove until he was 90.

The lack of compassion by a few posters is sickening.

[NavyBuc19]

The lack of compassion by a few posters is sickening.

Some people just do not care until its someone they love or its themself who must carry the burden of whatever it is on their shoulders.

Anybody who has the nerve to even remotely compare anything to what the Vets of WW2 had to go through is not even in the same ball park. I doubt 99% of the people on here would ever storm Omaha Beach, Iwo Jima, or be completely surrounded in Bastogne. I have the utmost respect for anyone who served before me.